U.S. patent number 10,323,711 [Application Number 15/602,717] was granted by the patent office on 2019-06-18 for breakable duct for use with a motor vehicle air induction system.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Ford Global Technologies, LLC. The grantee listed for this patent is Ford Global Technologies, LLC. Invention is credited to John Qingrui Liu, John Marsh, Scott M. Rollins, Eric Wells.
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United States Patent |
10,323,711 |
Rollins , et al. |
June 18, 2019 |
Breakable duct for use with a motor vehicle air induction
system
Abstract
The disclosed inventive concept provides a crushable air duct
having formed thereon a series of strategically positioned and
patterned crack-initiating grooves. The grooves allow the air duct
to be crushed in an impact event and a specified impact force,
thereby protecting adjacent and higher cost under hood components
from damage. In an impact event, the series of grooves allows the
cracks in the air duct to readily propagate throughout the pattern
in a controlled and predictable manner. The crushable air duct is
formed from a rigid polymerized material. The duct includes an
inlet and an outlet. The grooves are formed on either or both the
exterior surface and the interior surface of the duct. Some of the
grooves extend generally between the inlet and the outlet. These
grooves are preferably parallel. Other grooves are
circumferentially formed around the duct. At least some of the
parallel and circumferential grooves intersect.
Inventors: |
Rollins; Scott M. (Canton,
MI), Liu; John Qingrui (Ann Arbor, MI), Marsh; John
(Rayleigh, GB), Wells; Eric (Dearborn, MI) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Ford Global Technologies, LLC |
Dearborn |
MI |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Ford Global Technologies, LLC
(Dearborn, MI)
|
Family
ID: |
64109319 |
Appl.
No.: |
15/602,717 |
Filed: |
May 23, 2017 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20180340587 A1 |
Nov 29, 2018 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F02M
35/10091 (20130101); F16F 7/003 (20130101); F02M
35/10236 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
F02M
35/10 (20060101); F16F 7/00 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;138/118,118.1,120,123,128,135 ;123/184.21,184.61 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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10352721 |
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Jun 2005 |
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DE |
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102008008344 |
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Aug 2009 |
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DE |
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102011007668 |
|
Nov 2012 |
|
DE |
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102014001957 |
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Aug 2015 |
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DE |
|
Primary Examiner: McMahon; Marguerite J
Assistant Examiner: Holbrook; Teuta B
Attorney, Agent or Firm: LeClairRyan
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A duct for an air induction system of a vehicle, the duct
comprising: a body having a length, an inlet, an outlet, an outer
surface, and an inner surface; a first set of grooves including a
set of parallel grooves formed on said outer surface; a second set
of grooves including a set of circumferential grooves formed on
said outer surface, at least some of said second set of grooves
intersecting at least some of said first set of grooves, said first
set of grooves and said second set of grooves defining separable
segments; and a third set of grooves including a set of parallel
grooves formed on said inner surface.
2. The duct for an air induction system for a vehicle of claim 1,
wherein said parallel grooves extend from said inlet to said
outlet.
3. The duct for an air induction system for a vehicle of claim 1,
wherein said body is formed from a rigid polymerized material.
4. The duct for an air induction system for a vehicle of claim 3,
wherein said rigid polymerized material is polypropylene,
high-density polyethylene or acrylonitrile styrene acrylate.
5. The duct for an air induction system for a vehicle of claim 1,
wherein said body is formed from a first shell and a second
shell.
6. The duct for an air induction system for a vehicle of claim 5,
wherein said first shell is attached to said second shell by
clasps, mechanical fasteners, adhesives or welding.
7. The duct for an air induction system for a vehicle of claim 5,
wherein said first shell is attached to said second shell by
snap-fit assemblies, each assembly comprising a cantilever snap
portion and a latch portion.
8. An air induction system for a vehicle, the system comprising: an
air filter box having an incoming air side; and an air duct formed
from a rigid polymerized material, said duct being attached to said
incoming air side of said box, said duct having a long axis, an
outer surface, an inner surface, an inlet, and an outlet, said duct
having a first set of grooves including a set of parallel grooves
formed on said outer surface, a second set of grooves including a
set of circumferential grooves formed on said outer surface, at
least some of said second set of grooves intersecting at least some
of said first set of grooves, and a third set of grooves including
a set of parallel grooves formed on said inner surface, said first
and third sets of grooves generally extending along said long axis
between said inlet and said outlet.
9. The air induction system for a vehicle of claim 8, wherein said
grooves are parallel.
10. The air induction system for a vehicle of claim 9, wherein said
circumferential grooves are circumferentially formed around said
air duct.
11. The air induction system for a vehicle of claim 8, wherein said
rigid polymerized material is polypropylene, high-density
polyethylene or acrylonitrile styrene acrylate.
12. The air induction system for a vehicle of claim 8, wherein said
air duct is formed from a first shell and a second shell.
13. An air induction system for a vehicle, the system comprising:
an air filter box having an incoming air side; and an air duct
formed from a rigid polymerized material, said duct being attached
to said incoming air side of said box, said duct having an exterior
surface, an interior surface, a long axis, an inlet, and an outlet,
said duct having a first set of parallel grooves and a set of
circumferential grooves formed on said exterior surface of said air
duct, and a second set of parallel grooves formed on said interior
surface, said first set of parallel grooves and said
circumferential grooves intersecting, wherein said sets of grooves
provide a focused area of reduced wall thickness in said duct that
is engineered to fail at a specified load.
14. The air induction system for a vehicle of claim 13, wherein
said first set of parallel grooves extend along said long axis
between said inlet and said outlet.
15. The air induction system for a vehicle of claim 14, wherein
said set of circumferential grooves comprises grooves
circumferentially formed around said duct.
16. The air induction system for a vehicle of claim 15, wherein
said air duct is formed from a rigid polymerized material selected
from the group consisting of polypropylene, high-density
polyethylene and acrylonitrile styrene acrylate.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
The disclosed inventive concept relates generally to air induction
systems for use with the internal combustion engine of a vehicle.
More particularly, the disclosed inventive concept relates to a
crushable or collapsible air conduit or duct having strategically
positioned and patterned break-initiating grooves that provide a
wall thickness engineered to fail at a specified load to prevent
subsequent damage to higher cost under-hood components.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The internal combustion engine conventionally includes an air
induction system (AIS) for delivering ambient air to the throttle
body and ultimately into the combustion chamber as part of an
air-fuel mixture. The air induction system includes an air duct
that initially takes in the ambient air and passes the incoming air
into and through the air filter box. Typically the air duct is a
generally inexpensive unit that is conventionally positioned
adjacent more expensive under hood components such as the Air
Conditioner (A/C) condenser, the radiator and parts associated with
the radiator including the fan unit (or units) and the fan
shroud.
During an impact event, the radiator and the associated fan unit
and shroud are pushed vehicle rearward into the engine compartment.
This problem can arise even in a low speed impact in which
components of the "cooling pack" (the A/C condenser, the radiator,
the fan unit, and the fan shroud) as well as the bolster are pushed
vehicle-rearward by about 100 mm. To minimize the additional damage
to the radiator, the fan unit and the fan shroud, industry
requirements for "Low Speed Damageability" (LSD) exist for
automotive vehicles and are applied to the AIS ducts. These rules
require that the zone vehicle-rearward of the radiator be either
empty or only contain parts that will exert minimal resistance on
the movement of the radiator, fan unit and fan shroud in an impact
event. The force from the AIS duct that resists movement of the
radiator, fan unit and fan shroud must be sufficiently low so that
the A/C condenser, radiator, fan unit and fan shroud are not
damaged during an impact event, to minimize the cost of repair.
Given the concern over a possible impact event, today's AIS dirty
side duct (DSD) is at risk of not meeting the safety LSD cascaded
target. The cascaded target sought after by automotive designers
involved in vehicle safety is to have the DSD collapse when put
under a predetermined acceptable force such as 500N in an impact
event in order to meet LSD requirements. A "successful" impact
event result is that there is no post-crash damage to components
such as the NC condenser, the radiator, the fan unit, the fan
shroud, the battery or the battery cover.
Of components at risk during an impact event, the air induction
duct is usually the most inexpensive component to sacrifice and
replace. In an effort to respond to LSD requirements, auto
manufacturers desire to provide an air duct that is strong enough
to perform under all engine conditions but yet is weak enough to
break in a low speed impact and vacate space for more complex and
more expensive components to move into without causing damage to
these components. In an effort to satisfy this need, manufacturers
use soft elastomer/rubber materials for the AIS ducts and hoses.
However, elastomeric parts can cost and weigh more than that of
molded rigid plastic parts. Such components also tend to be heavier
than molded rigid plastic parts and thus add undesirable extra
weight to the vehicle.
Accordingly, known approaches to reducing damage to expensive under
hood components in an impact event have not always produced
satisfactory results. As in so many areas of vehicle technology,
there is always opportunity for improvement related to designs for
AIS components.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The disclosed inventive concept provides a crushable or collapsible
air induction duct having formed thereon a series of strategically
positioned and patterned crack-initiating grooves. The grooves
allow the air duct to be crushed in an impact event, thereby
protecting adjacent and higher cost under hood components from
damage. Such components include but are not limited to the
radiator, the cooling fan, the cooling fan shroud, and air
conditioner components. In an impact event, the series of grooves
allows the cracks in the air duct to readily propagate throughout
the pattern in a controlled and predictable manner. The crushable
air duct of the disclosed inventive concept demonstrates
performance in an impact event that is at least equal to or better
than known elastomer versions. The crushable air duct of the
disclosed inventive concept preferably though not absolutely
crushes at a predetermined acceptable force such as 500N.
Crushable air duct of the disclosed inventive concept includes a
body having an air inlet and an air outlet. A series of grooves is
formed on the outside of the body, though the grooves may also or
alternatively be formed on the inside of the body. The pattern of
the grooves may be regular, such as square, triangular or
hexagonal. Alternatively, the pattern of the grooves may be
irregular. Preferably but not absolutely two sets of grooves are
provided, although only one set may be provided. One set extends
generally between the air inlet and the air outlet. The grooves of
this set are parallel. The other set of grooves, if provided, are
circumferentially formed around the body of the crushable air duct.
At least some of the two sets of grooves, if both sets are
provided, intersect one another.
To enhance the crushable characteristics of the crushable air duct,
the body is formed from a readily breakable, rigid polymerized
material. Non-limiting examples of usable polymerized materials
include polypropylene, high-density polyethylene, and acrylonitrile
styrene acrylate.
The crushable air duct of the disclosed inventive concept may be
formed from a single piece of rigid polymerized material or may be
formed from multiple pieces, such as multiple shells that are
attached together. Attachment of one shell to the other may be made
by any number of methods including, without restriction, clasps,
snap-fit assemblies, and plastic welding.
The above advantages and other advantages and features will be
readily apparent from the following detailed description of the
preferred embodiments when taken in connection with the
accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference
should now be made to the embodiments illustrated in greater detail
in the accompanying drawings and described below by way of examples
of the invention wherein:
FIG. 1 is an environmental view of the crushable duct according to
the disclosed inventive concept in its position within an engine
compartment according to a perspective view;
FIG. 2 is an alternate view of the environmental view according to
FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is an environmental view similar to that of FIG. 1 but
viewed from the top;
FIG. 4 is an environmental view similar to that of FIG. 1 but
viewed from a side;
FIG. 5 is a front view of the crushable duct of the disclosed
inventive concept;
FIG. 6 is a first side view of the crushable duct of the disclosed
inventive concept;
FIG. 7 is a back view of the crushable duct of the disclosed
inventive concept;
FIG. 8 is a second side view of the crushable duct of the disclosed
inventive concept;
FIG. 9 is a top view of the crushable duct of the disclosed
inventive concept;
FIG. 10 is a bottom view of the crushable duct of the disclosed
inventive concept;
FIG. 11 is a sectional view of the crushable duct of the disclosed
inventive concept taken along line 11-11 of FIG. 5; and
FIG. 12 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1 but illustrating the
crushable duct in its environment after an impact event.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
In the following figures, the same reference numerals will be used
to refer to the same components. In the following description,
various operating parameters and components are described for
different constructed embodiments. These specific parameters and
components are included as examples and are not meant to be
limiting.
The accompanying figures and the associated description illustrate
an intake manifold according to the disclosed inventive concept.
Particularly, FIGS. 1 through 4 illustrate the crushable duct of
the air induction system illustrated in position in an engine
compartment of a vehicle under normal operating conditions. The
crushable duct itself is illustrated in isolation in various views
in FIGS. 5 through 11. The crushable duct is illustrated in its
crushed condition within an engine compartment following an impact
event in FIG. 12.
It is to be understood that the under-hood features and arrangement
may be different from those illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 4 and 12
without deviating from the spirit or scope of the disclosed
inventive concept. It is also to be understood that additional
configurations of the crushable duct of the disclosed inventive
concept could be adopted without deviating from the spirit or scope
of the disclosed inventive concept.
Referring to FIGS. 1 through 4, an engine compartment of a vehicle
is illustrated. The engine compartment, generally illustrated as
10, include crushable duct 12, an air cleaner box 14 shown
partially in broken lines, and a radiator 16. A fan shroud 17 is
fixed to the vehicle-rearward side of the radiator 16. A
replaceable air filter (not shown) is conventionally provided
within the air cleaner box 14.
The crushable duct 12 is a dirty side duct (DSD) and receives
incoming air at its inlet end 18 (illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 3)
and delivers exhaust air from its outlet end 20 (illustrated in
FIGS. 1, 2 and 4). An air inlet (not shown) is conventionally
attached to the inlet end 18 of the crushable duct 12. The outlet
end 20 of the crushable duct 12 is fluidly associated with the air
cleaner box 14. The air cleaner box 14 passes incoming air, now
filtered, to the engine intake (not shown).
The crushable duct 12 is illustrated in isolation in various views
in FIGS. 5 through 11. Referring to these figures, a front view of
the crushable duct 12 is illustrated. The air inlet end 18
preferably but not necessarily includes a circumferential stop
flange 22 against which the air inlet rests upon insertion. The air
inlet end 18 additionally includes a locking arrangement for
locking attachment to the air inlet. Such a locking arrangement may
include, for example, attachment tabs 24 and 24'.
The air outlet end 20 preferably but not necessarily includes a
circumferential stop flange 26 against which the air inlet rests
upon insertion. The air inlet end 18 additionally includes a
locking arrangement for locking attachment to the air cleaner box
14. Such a locking arrangement may include, for example, attachment
tabs 28, 28', 28'' and 28'''.
The crushable duct 12 may be formed from any of several rigid
polymerized materials that allow for good strength but frangibility
along the engineered grooves. Non-limiting examples of such rigid
materials include polypropylene (PP), high-density polyethylene
(HDPE), and acrylonitrile styrene acrylate (ASA) or any combination
thereof.
The crushable duct 12 is preferably though not necessarily molded
from multiple pieces. Multi-piece construction helps to reduce
manufacturing cost. Preferably, although not necessarily, the
crushable duct 12 is formed from two connected shells, a first
shell 30 and a second shell 32. The first shell 30 and the second
shell 32 may be attached to one another. Attachment of the first
shell 30 to the second shell 32 may be accomplished by any number
of methods, including mechanical fasteners or, as illustrated, by a
series of attachment fasteners that comprise tabs 34 and snap-fit
assemblies 36, either standing alone or in combination. As
illustrated in FIG. 11, each snap-fit assembly 36 includes a
cantilever snap portion 38 and a latch portion 40.
As previously noted, the crushable duct 12 is made collapsible or
crushable by a series of strategically positioned and patterned
break-initiating grooves. The grooves provide a focused area of
reduced wall thickness that is engineered to fail at a specified
load. This design-in and tunable failure allows the crushable duct
12 to be crushed and generally flattened to prevent subsequent
damage to higher cost under-hood components. The engineered groove
pattern and the orientation of the grooves allow the cracks to be
controlled and to easily propagate throughout the crushable duct 12
upon impact. Preferably, the crushable duct 12 must crush at less
than an acceptable predetermined impact force.
Each of the first shell 30 and the second shell 32 includes a
series of grooves that define patterns. While the grooves are
illustrated as being formed on the outside of the shells 30 and 32
as illustrated in FIGS. 5 through 11, it is to be understood that
the grooves may also be formed on the inside of one or both of the
shells 30 and 32, as illustrated in FIG. 11.
A first series of grooves is formed on the first shell 30. A first
set of parallel grooves comprising grooves 42, 42', 42'', 42''' and
42'''' is illustrated. The parallel grooves 42, 42', 42'', 42'''
and 42'''' are generally formed between the air inlet end 18 and
the outlet end 20 although the grooves may be shorter. The widths
and depths of the parallel grooves 42, 42', 42'', 42''' and 42''''
may be adjusted as needed to produce the desired crushed
result.
Generally perpendicular to the parallel grooves 42, 42', 42'',
42''', and 42'''' is a set of circumferential grooves 44, 44', and
44''. It is to be understood that a greater or lesser number of
parallel grooves 42, 42', 42'', 42''' and 42'''' and
circumferential grooves 44, 44' and 44'' may be formed on the first
shell 30.
A second series of grooves is formed on the second shell 32. A
first set of parallel grooves comprising grooves 46, 46', 46'',
46''' and 46'''' is illustrated. The parallel grooves 46, 46',
46'', 46''' and 46'''' are also generally formed between the air
inlet end 18 and the outlet end 20 although the grooves may be
shorter. The widths and depths of the parallel grooves 46, 46',
46'', 46''' and 46'''' may be adjusted as needed to produce the
desired crushed result.
Generally perpendicular to the parallel grooves 46, 46', 46'',
46''', and 46'''' is a set of circumferential grooves 48, 48',
48'', 48''', 48'''' and 48'''''. It is to be understood that a
greater or lesser number of parallel grooves 46, 46', 46'', 46''',
and 46'''' and circumferential grooves 48, 48', 48'', 48''', 48''''
and 48''''' may be formed on the second shell 32.
As noted above, the grooves may be formed internally as well as
externally on the first shell 30 and the second shell 32. While
FIGS. 5 through 10 illustrate the parallel and circumferential
grooves formed externally, FIG. 11 illustrates a set of grooves
formed internally. With reference thereto, the first shell 30
includes an internal set of parallel grooves 50 and 50' and the
second shell 32 includes an internal set of parallel grooves 52 and
52'. A greater or lesser number of grooves 50, 50', 52 and 52' may
be formed.
While FIGS. 1 through 11 illustrate the crushable duct 12 as it
would appear before an impact event, FIG. 12 illustrates the
crushable duct 12 following an impact event. As shown, the vehicle
has been impacted as illustrated by the arrow. Following the impact
event, the radiator 16 has been pushed vehicle-inward in the
direction of the air cleaner box 14. However, the air cleaner box
14 remains intact as does the fan shroud 17 as well as all of the
air conditioner components after the impact event. This is possible
because the crushable duct 12 has been has absorbed the energy of
the impact and has thus been crushed between the radiator 16 and
the air cleaner box 14 as well as other fixed components, thereby
substantially vacating the space it formerly occupied.
As noted above, the number, path, placement and depth of each of
the grooves, whether formed on the outside of the crushable duct or
on the inside, may be modified as required to provide optimum
performance in an impact event. While the grooves have been
illustrated as being elongated and circumferential, it is to be
understood that many variations of the groove pattern are possible
including both regular and irregular. It is also to be understood
that while grooves have been specified, it is possible that the
recessed areas illustrated in the figures as being grooves may also
be channels that are, either in the alternative or in combination,
polygonal, round or oval in shape or have a mixture of such shapes.
The thickness of the first shell 30 and the second shell 32 may be
constant or variable.
The duct of the disclosed inventive concept is highly tunable and
can be designed and produced to meet a wide variety of demands.
Variables include the geometry of the grooves, the choice of
material, the thickness of the material, and the groove pattern.
Several variations of the duct were produced and subsequent
analysis and physical testing confirmed the tunability of the duct
in its many variations.
Given the described variables, the crushable duct 12 of the
disclosed inventive concept provides the engine designer with
maximum flexibility and enables specific tuning for a under hood
arrangement. In this way, the repair cost following an impact event
may be reduced by reducing or eliminating damage caused to more
expensive components without adding weight, cost, or complexity to
the air induction system of the vehicle. The disclosed inventive
concept may be used with any type of engine.
One skilled in the art will readily recognize from such discussion,
and from the accompanying drawings and claims that various changes,
modifications and variations can be made therein without departing
from the true spirit and fair scope of the invention as defined by
the following claims.
* * * * *